​Eighteen is often a milestone age for a young adult: High School is behind them; a possible year off to travel or work; saying goodbye to old friends that are no longer going in the same direction as them anymore; and/or preparing to meet new people that may become friends as they set off into a life filled with new experiences that will help define what life may have in future for them. I was there to guide, assist and hopefully provide some helpful insights when this time arrived both of Darrel's sisters, but on days like his birthday, I am painfully reminded (though it is impossible for me to ever forget the other 364 days of the year) that this is a moment I have been denied sharing with my son. For almost 11 years now, Darrel has not been physically here to be a part of our daily lives, but he has never, nor will he ever be absent from my thoughts on any given day. Some might view that as a curse or unpleasant thing, but I am thankful for it. Though I can not change anything that happened to Darrel, I most certainly will not deny it either. To forget any part of that journey would be a disservice to his memory, and that of the countless children that have, are, and will face off against childhood cancers like neuroblastoma.

Since my last entry, I attended a group session with a couple of Mediums that was held in the area. I have always been somewhat curious about such things, so I figured I would see first hand what it was all about. The Mediums took turns connecting to any spirits that were in the Hall, then tried to find out who the messages they were receiving were meant for. Some of the information was rather abstract, and could have really been applied to nearly any of us there, while in a few instances, the detailed and pinpoint accuracy of the connections clearly moved specific audience members to tears. I was both relieved and disappointed that none of the messages in any way could be interpreted as holding a relevance my situation with either Darrel or my mother, who passed away last Fall. I haven't ruled out having a private session with a Medium sometime down the road, but the possibility of sharing such a personal experience with a bunch of strangers would be much more unnerving to comprehend.

With Kira now completed her third year at Brock University, it's nice to once again have someone to keep me company here, other than Lady and Bella. Lady gave us quite a scare a few months ago. Darrel's dog developed a rather intense internal infection, and for a while, the outlook was about as grim as it could get. Given her age (she will be 13 in September), there was only so much that could be done with any reasonable chance of success. It got to the point where even the vet believed Lady was not going to recover, and that appropriate measures might need to be considered. Surprisingly and fortunately, Lady did in fact pull through, and is back to where she was healthwise as she was when the year began. Both dogs, along with myself, of course, are happy to have Kira back for the Summer. Lauren still pops in regularly to see us, but it took awhile to adjust not seeing her every day.

As I always post a Blog on May 26th and September 9th, quite often there isn't anything new and relevant to add, but I still find the need to do so anyways. I have countless stories about Darrel, but almost all have been mentioned, some more than once. Rereading my older entries helps to keep these memories fresh in my mind, and even the odd time, I am surprised by a detail that I somehow haven't recalled so clearly. They often say that it's the "Little Things That Matter The Most"...I couldn't agree more.

Thank You again for your continued support and interest.

Happy Birthday Darrel

Love and Miss You Little Man

*************************

***Reminder*** The International Neuroblastoma Awareness Week will be held June 11-17, 2018. Darrel's Playground will once again be proud to serve as one of the Canadian Administrators for this event. Please feel free to visit our Facebook Page at:

The majority of all these entries were written by Darrel's father, Stephen. For those that are not, efforts have been made to give proper credit where it is due.The bulk of the posts are in the June 2011 Archives Section, as that is when I transferred them over to this site. Category Tags should allow you to find entries easier.I've tried to correct spacing issues on many of the entries, as most of the older ones have been copied from different sites I've used in the past. I apologize if some have been overlooked.